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Judge Expected To Allow Release Of Johannes Mehserle

OAKLAND (CBS 5) - The former Bay Area Rapid Transit officer who shot an unarmed passenger to death may soon be released from prison.

Johannes Mehserle has served eleven months of a two-year sentence for the New Years Day 2009 shooting of Oscar Grant III. A judge is expected to grant leniency, allowing him to be released as soon as mid-June.

Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for shooting Grant on the Fruitvale Station platform as a train brought revelers home following New Year's Eve celebrations.

Mehserle claimed that he mistook his gun for a taser.

A federal civil suit related to the shooting is still pending.

(Copyright 2011 by CBSSan Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)

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